Key construction



Dec. 31, 1940. 5 BROWN 2,226,691

KEY CONSTRUCTION Filed April 1, 1959 6 27 11v VENTOR A TTORNE Ys Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED, STATES KEY CONSTRUCTION Herbert E. Brown,

Burroughs Adding Detroit, Mich., assignor to Machine Company, Detroit,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan I Application April 1, 1939, Serial No. 265,446

8 Claims.

This invention relates to key lever constructions and, more particularly, to a column selecting key suitable for use in calculating machines or'the like. I

Keys of this type'are used in calculating machines and the like which employ traveling paper carriages and are used to set up column stops for controlling movements of the paper carriage. The Fettig application, Serial No. 112,197, filed December 23, 1936, discloses such a machine in active position or vice versa, -once the operator starts the movement of the key.

Accordingly, it is a purpose of this invention to provide an improved key of this character.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a key of this character so constructed that, upon depression, full movement thereof will be enforced.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a key of this character which is readily adjustable to diflerent positions, that is, one that is readily removable from its supporting stop bar.

Further objects and their resultant advantages will be apparent from the following description given in connection with the drawing, in which Figure l is a' t of a carriage of a calculating machine illustrating two columnar selecting keys constructed in accordance with this invention, one key being in inactive position and the other being in active position;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a key lever constructed in accordance with this invention and associated parts. The key being shown in inactive position in full lines and in active as well as released position in dash-dot lines; and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a key lever and associated parts in depressed or active position.

Referring tovthe drawing, there is illustrated a portion of a traveling paper carriage of a calculating machine comprising a portion of the 55 leftend frame I which supports cross bars 2 for causing the carriage to in their movements, 1. e., compelled to complete their movements from inactive to partial perspective of a portion and 3 as well as the stop bar 4, the latter having a series of slots 6 in the upper side thereof, there being a slot for each letter space position'of the carriage.

The key levers, two of which are shown in Fig,

1, are formed of two parts, i. e., each comprising an irregularly shaped upper key portion or stamping 1 provided with a key top or lingerpiece 8 and a lower base portion or stamping 9, which is substantially U-shaped and adaptedto yieldingly and detachably engage the slotted stop bar 4, as clearly shown in the drawing. The two portions are pivotally connected at H. The upper arm of the base portion which engages in the slots 6 of the bar 4 is formed with a pair of downwardly extending projections l2 spaced apart the width of the bar, whereby the key levers are detachably retained upon the bar due to the natural resiliency of the U-shaped base portion, the lower arm of which is made relatively narrow for this purpose. The base portion can be readefiort upon the key exerting suflicient forward the key off to spring the arms apart and slide the bar, as will be explained later.

The upper key portion can be rocked about the pivot II to either its inactive or counterclockwise position or its active or clockwise position and is urged toward and retained in either position-by a pawl I5 pivoted at 16 to the upper key lever portion .1 and urged clockwise about its pivot by a spring ll. Spring ll urges the lower edge of the pawl 15 into contact with the upper somewhat pointed end of the base portion 9 with the result that when the key is moved counterclockwise from active to inactive position, the pawl tends to ride down the forward side of the end portion of the base under urge of spring [1. This forces the upper portion 1 counterclockwise to full inactive position once the key lever has passed approximately its central intermediate point in moving from active to inactive position. The key is limited in its counterclockwise movement by engaging a U-shaped blade 20 attached to the form holder 2| which has a stud and slot connection 22 with the bar or bracket 2. The form a strip of paper in which is marked the identiflcation of the columnar position of the carriage. Likewise, when the key is moved clockwise from its inactive position toward its active position, the pawl l5 tends side of the end of the base 9 once it has passed the central or intermediate point under urge of spring H which forces the key to its full active ily removed by rocking the key counterclockwise, I

holder is used to carry a to ride down the rear position. When so moved, a rearwardly and downwardly projecting finger 25 of the key engages and rocks a ball 26 which raises a slide 21 which causes the stop 28 to be moved upwardly from the Fig. 2 to the Fig. 3 position,

.in which position it is retained by an abutment 29 overlying a block 30 as shown in Fig. 1. The carriage is then released for tabulation and moves to the left until the upper portion 1 of the depressed key engages the stop or slide 28 moving it slightly to the left until the abutment 29 clears the block 30. The stop then drops, lowering slide 21, which rocks the bail 26 and rocks the depressed key to inactive position. For further description of the foregoing mechanism, reference is made to the Fettig application heretofore men tioned and to the Thieme Patent No. 1,259,929.

Due to the fact that it is the key stem which actually releases the caniage tabulating mechanism and then serves as a stop for limiting movement of the carriage, it is very necessary that full movement of the key to either active or machine position be enforced or compelled and this is accomplished by the foregoing mechanism. It will be apparent that it is only actually necessary for the key to be depressed partially to move it either to the active or inactive position, after which the spring-urged pawl l5 will insure full and complete'movement of the key lever to either its inactive or active position 'where it will be retained until returned.

In order to facilitate removal and readjustment of the key levers to other columnar positions on the stop bar 4, the upper portion I of the key lever is provided on its lower edge with a cam-like shoulder 3| (Fig. 2) which, when the key is rocked counterclockwise beyond its normal inactive position, engages the upper surface of the stop bar 4 and spreads the arms of the base portion to 'cause the rear lug l2 to clear the stop bar and permit ready removal of the key. It will be understood, of course, that the form holder 2| and U-shaped blade 20 will have been removed. The key lever can then, of course, be readily installed in a new position along the slotted stop bar 4.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has been provided a very simple key lever construction which not only insures proper movement of the key to either active or inactive position, but permits ready removal and reinsertion of the key, thus facilitating adjustment of the key to different columnar positions r along the supporting stop bar It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the key lever may be applied to different types of machines and that minor changes may be made in the details of construction of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A columnar selecting key for use in calculating and the like machines having a traveling carriage and tabulating means therefor including an element cooperating with said 'key, said key comprising a base portion adapted to detachably engage a stop bar in a selected one of a plurality of positions, a key portion pivoted to said base portion and movable about said pivot from an inactive position to an active position for cooperation with said element of said tabulating means, and reversely, and resilient means for urging said key portion away from a position intermediate said active and inactive positions to either said active or said inactive position in the direction of its last movement past said intermediate position.

2. 'A columnar selecting key for use in calculating and the like machines having a traveling carriage and tabulating means therefor including an element cooperating with said key, said key comprising a base portion adapted to detachably engage a stop bar in a selected one of a plurality of positions, a key portion pivoted to said base portion and movable about said pivot from an inactive position to an active position for cooperation with said element of said tabulating means and reversely, a cam on one of said portions, and a spring urged pawl on the other of said portions cooperating with said cam to urge said key pontion away from a position intermediate said active and inactive positions to either said active or said inactive position.

3. A columnar selecting key for use in calculating and the like machines having a traveling carriage and tabulating means therefor including an element cooperating with said key, said key comprising a base portion adapted to detachably engage a stop bar in a selected one of a plurality of positions, a key portion pivoted to said base portion and movable about said pivot from an inactive position to an active position for cooperation with said element of said tabulating means and reversely, a cam on said base portion, and a spring urged pawl carried by said key portion and cooperating with said cam to urge the latter away from a position intermediate said active and in active positions to either said active or said inactive position.

v4. A columnar selecting key for use in calculating and the like machines having a traveling carriage and tabulating means therefor including an element cooperating with said key, said key comprising a base portion-adapted to detachably engage a stop bar in a selected one of a plurality of positions, a key portion pivoted to said base portion and movable about said pivot from an inactive position-to an active position for cooperation with said element of said tabulating means and reversely, a cam on one of said portions, and a spring urged pawl pivoted to the other of said portions and cooperating with said cam to urge said pivoted key portion in either direction away from a position intermediate said active and inactive positions.

-5. A columnar selecting key for use in calculating and the like machines having a traveling carriage and tabulating means therefor including an element cooperating with said key, said key comprising a base portion adapted to detachably engage a 'stop bar in a selected one of a plurality of positions, a key portion pivoted to said base portion and movable about said pivot from an inactive position to an active position for cooperation with said element of said tabulating means and reversely, a cam on said base portion, and a. spring urged pawl pivoted to said key portion and adapted to engage said cam and urge said key portion away from a position intermediate said active and inactive positions to one or the other of said active or inactive positions.

6. A columnar selecting key for use in calculating and the like machines having a traveling carriage, tabulating means therefor including an element cooperating with said key, and a slotted stop bar, said key comprising a substantially U-shaped base portion adapted to yleldingly and detachably engage said slotted stop bar in any one of a'plurality of positions, a key portion pivoted to said base portion and movable about said pivot from an'inactive position to an active position for cooperation with said element of said tabulating means and reversely, with means on said key portion adapted, when said key portionelement cooperating with said key, and a slotted .stop bar, said key comprising a substantially U-shaped base portion adapted to yieldingly and detachably engage said slotted stop bar and a key portion pivoted to said base portion and movable about said pivot from an inactive position to an active position for cooperation with said element of said tabulating means and reversely, with cam means on said key portion adapted, when said key pontion is moved beyond one of. saidpositions, to cooperate with said stop bar to spread saidU-shaped base portion to release said base portion from said stop bar.

8. A columnar selecting key for use in calculating and the like machines having a traveling carriage, tabulating means therefor including an stop bar, said key comprising a substantially 5 U-shaped base portion adapted to yieldingly and detachably engage said slotted stop bar and a key portion pivoted to said base portion and movable about said pivot from a normal inactive position to an.- active position for cooperation with 1 said element of said tabulating means and reversely, resilient means for urging said key portion away from a position intermediate said active and inactive positions to one or the other 1 of said active or inactive positions, said resilient means permitting manual movement of said key portion beyond said normal inactive position, and

HERBERT E. BROWN. 2 

